Overview

W -symmetry is an extension of conformal symmetry in two dimensions. Since its introduction in 1985, W -symmetry has become one of the central notions in the study of two-dimensional conformal field theory. The mathematical structures that underlie W -symmetry are so-called W -algebras, which are higher-spin extensions of the Virasoro algebra. This book contains a collection of papers on W -symmetry, covering the period from 1985 through 1993. Its main focus is the construction of W -algebras and their representation theory. A recurrent theme is the intimate connection between W -algebras and affine Lie algebras. Some of the applications, in particular W -gravity, are also covered.The significance of this reprint volume is that there are no textbooks entirely devoted to the subject.Contents: History and BackgroundClassical W -Algebras and Their Connection to Toda Field TheoriesQuantum W -AlgebrasQuantum Drinfel'd-Sokolov ReductionCoset ConstructionsW Type Algebras W -Gravity and W -StringsReadership: Students and researchers in the field of conformal field theory.

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9781299635302

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